Free Republic

Although every U.S. president since Herbert Hoover has stayed at the famous luxury Waldorf Astoria Hotel when visiting New York City, President Obama will not be bunking there this week. Along with hundreds of American officials who used to occupy whole floors of the Waldorf during the September meetings of the U.N. General Assembly, Obama will move to a different hotel. No explanation has been announced, but the obvious reason is that U.S. officials wouldn't be safe or secure there. The Waldorf was bought last year by a Chinese insurance company whose directors are connected to the Chinese Communist Party...

The Foreign Office mounted a fightback yesterday against allegations that Jack Straw and Colin Powell had expressed serious doubts about whether Baghdad possessed weapons of mass destruction before the start of the Iraq war. As Tony Blair faced allegations from a former Cabinet colleague that he had "duped" the British people over Saddam Hussein's weapons capabilities, the Foreign Office issued a detailed rebuttal of allegations, made in the Guardian newspaper, that were seized on by news media around the world. The paper said Mr Straw, the Foreign Secretary, and Mr Powell, his United States counterpart, had privately expressed serious doubts...